Snap button zipper

ABSTRACT

A snap button zipper includes two zipper tapes, a plurality of male and female snap buttons each including a clamping part and an engagement part for interlocking, and a zipper slider movable to force the male snap buttons into engagement with or away from the respective female snap buttons. The clamping part of each of the snap buttons includes two clamping panels, two sliding guide portions respectively defining a respective planar surface for coupling the zipper slider and guiding the zipper slider to move along the zipper tapes, and two mounting panels for fixation to opposing top and bottom walls of the respective zipper tape. The zipper slider includes two sliding guide grooves for receiving the male and female snap buttons, and a plurality of stop blocks respectively for contacting and moving along the planar surfaces of the sliding guide portions of the male and female snap buttons.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(a) Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to zip fasteners and more particularly to a snap button zipper, which includes a row of male snap buttons and a row of female snap buttons respectively longitudinally arranged on two zipper tapes, and a zipper slider movable to force the male snap buttons into engagement with or away from the respective female snap buttons.

(b) Description of the Prior Art

Conventional zippers generally comprise two zipper tapes, two rows of interlocking teeth, a zipper slider, pins, a top stop, and a bottom stop. Sliding the zipper slider along the zipper tapes can force the two rows of interlocking teeth into engagement with or away from each other. The interlocking teeth can be made of metal, resin or nylon. Further, conventional zippers have different types, such as close end zipper, open end zipper, X type zipper, O type zipper, etc.

U.S. Pat. No. 1,960,010 and US Patent Pub. 20090113676A1 discloses a vintage classic zipper design, which comprises interengageable hook and eye members preferably stamped from sheet metal and respectively firmly crimped upon the edges of two zipper tapes, and a zipper slider movable longitudinally to engage or disengage the interengageable hook and eye members. The interengageable hook and eye members have curved anchoring portions for attachment to the zipper tapes. The anchoring portions of the interengageable members are of relatively short length as compared to the length of the faces of the interengageable members which are in contact when pairs of the members are in interengagement. The hook members have the hook struck from the body of the member and these hooks preferably lie substantially in the plane of the zipper tape when the member is attached thereto. Perforations may be provided in the member. Shoulders on opposite faces of the member form guides for the slider. The eye member is similar in construction to the hook member except that the hook is replaced by an opening or eye which is punched therein to receive the corresponding hook. According to this design, the contact between the zipper slider and the interengageable hook and eye members is a linear contact, thus, moving the zipper slider cannot accurately and positively force the hook members into engagement with the respective eye members, and, the area of the interengageable hook and eye members for contact with the zipper slider can wear quickly with the use of the zipper.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is main object of the present invention to provide a snap button zipper, which eliminates the drawbacks of engagement instability and quick wear of the prior art snap button zipper due to small contact surface area between the male and female snap buttons, ensures a high level of zipper slide sliding stability and engagement accuracy between the male and female snap buttons, and prolongs the lifespan of the zipper.

To achieve this and other objects of the present invention, a snap button zipper comprises two zipper tapes each having a longitudinal side rib extending along one respective long side thereof, a row of male snap buttons arranged along the longitudinal side rib of one zipper tape, each said male snap button having an engagement part and a clamping part clamped on the longitudinal side rib of the respective zipper tape, a row of female snap buttons arranged along the longitudinal side rib of the other zipper tape, each female snap button having an engagement part for interlocking with the engagement part of one respective male snap button and a clamping part clamped on the longitudinal side rib of the other zipper tape, and a zipper slider slidable in one of two reverse directions to force the male snap buttons into engagement with the respective female snap button or to separate the male snap buttons from the respective female snap button. The clamping part of each male or female snap button comprises two clamping panels for clamping on two opposite sides of the longitudinal side rib of the respective zipper tape, two sliding guide portions respectively extending from the clamping panels and respectively defining a respective planar surface for coupling the zipper slider and guiding the zipper slider to move along the zipper tapes, two mounting panels respectively extending from the sliding guide portions for fixation to opposing top and bottom walls of the respective zipper tape. The zipper slider comprises two sliding guide grooves that have respective one ends thereof separated from each other and respective other ends thereof merged into each other to form a Y-shape passage for receiving the male and female snap buttons, and a plurality of stop blocks respectively located at two opposing lateral sides thereof and respectively abutted against respective outer sides of the sliding guide grooves at different elevations and adapted for contacting and moving along the planar surfaces of the sliding guide portions.

Preferably, the clamping panels of the male and female snap buttons are arched panels, each having one end connected to the respective sliding guide portion. Each sliding guide portion has one end thereof connected to one respective arched panel, and an opposite end thereof connected to one respective mounting panel at right angles.

Preferably, each mounting panel comprises a plurality of spikes located at an inner wall thereof.

Preferably, the engagement part and clamping part of each male or female snap button are made of a single piece of metal sheet by stamping. The engagement part has the shape of a curved plate with two opposite ends thereof respectively connected to the two clamping panels of the associated clamping part.

Preferably, each male snap button comprises a hook portion protruding from the engagement part thereof; each female snap button comprises a hook hole located in the engagement part thereof and adapted for receiving the hook portion of the respective male snap button. Further, the zipper slider is movable in one of two reverse directions to force the hook portions of the male snap buttons into or away from the hook holes of the female snap buttons.

Preferably, the engagement part and clamping part of each male or female snap button constitute a configuration of two linked hollow triangles.

The snap button zipper achieves the following effects: subject to the design of the sliding guide portions of the clamping parts of the male and female snap buttons and the design of the planar surfaces of the sliding guide portions and the design of the stop blocks of the zipper slider, a large contact surface area is provided between the zipper slider and the male and female snap buttons, ensuring a high level of zipper slider sliding stability and engagement accuracy between the male and female snap buttons, and preventing quick wearing between the zipper slider and the male and female snap buttons.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a snap button zipper in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an oblique top elevational view of one male snap button of the snap button zipper in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an oblique top elevational view of one female snap button of the snap button zipper in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view illustrating mounting of one male snap button on one respective zipper tape (I).

FIG. 5 is a schematic sectional view illustrating mounting of one male snap button on one respective zipper tape (II).

FIG. 6 is an elevational assembly view of the snap button zipper in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic sectional view of the present invention, illustrating the zipper slider coupled with the male snap buttons and the female snap buttons.

FIG. 8 is a schematic sectional view illustrating one male snap button engaged with one respective female snap button in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 1, a snap button zipper in accordance with the present invention is shown. The snap button zipper comprises first and second zipper tapes 1,1′, a row of male snap buttons 2 arranged along a longitudinal side rib 11 at one long side of the first zipper tape 1, a row of female snap buttons 3 arranged along one longitudinal side rib 11′ at one long side of the second zipper tape 1′, and a zipper slider 4 movable along the longitudinal side ribs 11,11′ of the first and second zipper tapes 1,1′ in one of two reverse directions to force the male snap buttons 2 into engagement with the respective female snap buttons 3, or to separate the male snap buttons 2 from the respective female snap buttons 3.

Referring also to FIGS. 2 and 3, the male snap button 2 and the female snap button 3 each comprise an engagement part 21,31 located at a front side thereof for interlocking, a clamping part 22,32 for clamping on the longitudinal side rib 11,11′ of the first or second zipper tape 1,1′. The engagement parts 21,31 of the male and female snap button 2,3 can be interlocked or unfastened subject to sliding movement of the zipper slider 4 along the longitudinal side ribs 11,11′ of the first and second zipper tapes 1,1′. The clamping parts 22,32 have the same structural design for symmetrically fastening to the first and second zipper tapes 1,1′, each comprising two clamping panels 221,321 for clamping on two opposite sides of the longitudinal side rib 11,11′ of the first or second zipper tape 1,1′ (see FIG. 4 and FIG. 5), two sliding guide portions 222,322 respectively extending from the clamping panels 221,321 and respectively defining a respective planar surface 223,323 for coupling the zipper slider 4 and guiding the zipper slider 4 to move along the first and second zipper tapes 1,1′, two mounting panels 224,324 respectively extending from the sliding guide portions 222,322 for fixation to opposing top and bottom walls of the first or second zipper tape 1,1′ (see FIG. 4 and FIG. 5), and a plurality of spikes 23,33 respectively located respective inner walls of the mounting panels 224,324 for engaging into the opposing top and bottom walls of the first or second zipper tape 1,1′.

Referring to FIG. 7 and FIG. 1 again, the zipper slider 4 comprises a slider body 41, and a pull tab 42 coupled to the slider body 41. The slider body 41 comprises two sliding guide grooves 43 that are separated from each other at one end and merged into each other at an opposite end to form a Y-shape passage. The aforesaid male snap buttons 2 and the female snap buttons 3 are respectively inserted through the sliding guide grooves 43. The slider body 41 further comprises a plurality of stop blocks 44 respectively located at two opposing lateral sides thereof and respectively abutted against respective outer sides of the sliding guide grooves 43 at different elevations and adapted for contacting and moving along the planar surfaces 223,323 of the sliding guide portions 222,322 (see FIG. 7), and thus, the zipper slider 4 can be moved stably to fasten up or unfasten the male and female snap buttons 2,3.

Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 again, the clamping panels 221,321 of the male and female snap buttons 2,3 are arched panels to fit the cross section of the longitudinal side ribs 11,11′. The sliding guide portions 222,322 each have one end connected to the respective sliding guide portion 222,322, and an opposite end connected to the respective mounting panel 224,324 at right angles for close contact with the stop blocks 44 of the zipper slider 4.

Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 again, the female snap buttons 2,3 are preferably made of a metal sheet by stamping. The engagement part 21,31 and clamping part 22,32 of the female snap button 2,3 constitute a configuration of two linked hollow triangles (see FIG. 8). The engagement part 21,31 has the shape of a curved plate with two opposite ends thereof respectively connected to the two clamping panels 221,321 of the associated clamping part 22,32. The male snap button 2 further comprises a hook portion 211 protruding from the engagement part 21 and formed by stamping. The female snap button 3 further comprises a hook hole 311 located in the engagement part 31. As illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 8, the zipper slider 4 is movable to force the hook portions 211 of the male snap buttons 2 into engagement with or away from the hook holes 311 of the respective female snap buttons 3, thereby closing or opening the zipper tapes 1,1′.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A snap button zipper, comprising: two zipper tapes each comprising a longitudinal side rib extending along one respective long side thereof; a row of male snap buttons arranged along the longitudinal side rib of one said zipper tape; a row of female snap buttons arranged along the longitudinal side rib of the other said zipper tape; and a zipper slider slidable in one of two reverse directions to force said male snap buttons into engagement with respective said female snap buttons or to separate said male snap buttons from respective said female snap buttons, wherein: each said male snap button comprises an engagement part and a clamping part clamped on the longitudinal side rib of the respective said zipper tape; each said female snap button comprises an engagement part for interlocking with the engagement part of one respective said male snap button and a clamping part clamped on the longitudinal side rib of the respective said zipper tape; the clamping part of each of said male snap buttons and said female snap buttons comprises two clamping panels for clamping on two opposite sides of the longitudinal side rib of the respective said zipper tape, two sliding guide portions respectively extending from said clamping panels and respectively defining a respective planar surface for coupling said zipper slider and guiding said zipper slider to move along said zipper tapes, and two mounting panels respectively extending from said sliding guide portions for fixation to opposing top and bottom walls of the respective said zipper tape; and said zipper slider comprises two sliding guide grooves that are separated from each other at one end and merged into each other at an opposite end to form a Y-shape passage for receiving said male snap buttons and said female snap buttons, and a plurality of stop blocks respectively located at two opposing lateral sides thereof and respectively abutted against respective outer sides of said sliding guide grooves at different elevations and adapted for contacting and moving along said planar surfaces of said sliding guide portions.
 2. The snap button zipper as claimed in claim 1, wherein said clamping panels of said male snap buttons and said female snap buttons are arched panels each having one end connected to the respective said sliding guide portion; each said sliding guide portion has one end thereof connected to one respective said arched panel and an opposite end thereof connected to one respective said mounting panel at right angles.
 3. The snap button zipper as claimed in claim 2, wherein each said mounting panel comprises a plurality of spikes located at an inner wall thereof.
 4. The snap button zipper as claimed in claim 3, wherein the engagement part and clamping part of each of said male snap buttons and said female snap buttons are made of a single piece of metal sheet by stamping; said engagement part has the shape of a curved plate with two opposite ends thereof respectively connected to the two clamping panels of the associated said clamping part.
 5. The snap button zipper as claimed in claim 4, wherein each said male snap button comprises a hook portion protruding from the engagement part thereof; each said female snap button comprises a hook hole located in the engagement part thereof and adapted for receiving the hook portion of the respective said male snap button; said zipper slider is movable in one of said two reverse directions to force said hook portions of said male snap buttons into or away from said hook holes of said female snap buttons.
 6. The snap button zipper as claimed in claim 5, wherein said engagement part and said clamping part of each of said male snap buttons and said female snap buttons constitute a configuration of two linked hollow triangles. 